Archiving this here just in case.
As promised, I took notes on the entire event. Since the interview was intermediated by an interpreter, some details might have gone lost in translation. The questions were collected from suggestions by the German fans on Kazé’s website, and after they were done with asking them, they used the remaining time for open questions from the audience.
The interview is spoiler free except for one question I will mark in specific.
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights on the franchise and am not associated in any way with Kazé. This is a fan translation of the interview I wanted to share. Alle Angaben wie immer ohne Gewähr.
Katou was on stage with her editor, Rin-san, an interpreter, and the host of the panel, who asked the questions.
Host: Why did you choose to become a mangaka?
Katou: First of all, I’m not used to speak in front of such a large audience, so pardon me if I sound somewhat stiff. When I was in my second year in elementary school, my parents bought me a manga magazine for the first time, Ribbon, a shoujo manga magazine. That’s when I developed the wish of becoming a mangaka. At 19 years old, I won the Tezuka Award, and when I got my first one shots and series published, my readers became my major motivation to continue.
Host: How long did it take until you started your big career at Jump SQ?
Katou: Only eight years after I won the Tezuka Award. In between, I wrote some one shots and my first series, Robo to Usakichi, which was abruptly cancelled after five volumes. It was very hard continuing after that. Then Jump SQ published two one shots of mine, and then commissioned me for a long running series, which was Ao no Exorcist. I never considered doing something other than manga, though, I always thought of it as the only thing I had and the only option for my future career.
Host: Do you have any mangaka you consider a main inspiration for your work?
Katou: In eight grade I read my first shounen manga, which was Akira by Ōtomo Katsuhiro. This having been my first contact with the shounen genre, I think it was a main influence.
Host: Did you ever work as an assistant for another mangaka? If so, how did that influence your work?
Katou: Yes, I did, first for Higuchi Daisuke, then for several newcomers, and later also for Yabuki Kentarou. (She either didn’t respond to the second part of the question, or the interpreter omitted it.)
Host: Describe a typical day as a mangaka, please! Like, other people go to work by bike and all… Which reminds me, Rin-san told me earlier that at Shūeisha it’s not allowed for the staff to go to work by bike, because there’s once been an accident, right?
Rin: Yeah, that’s true (laughs)
Katou: Well, there’s no typical day for a mangaka, really, because it depends on which magazine you’re writing for, and how often it’s published, like once a week or once or twice a month. It also of course has to do with your level of success. As for me, I usually work two weeks per month. I get up at 10 a.m. or 12. p.m. at the latest, as at 1 p.m. my assistants will drop by and stay until 10 p.m.. That’s only for drawing, though. I work on the storyboard whenever I have inspiration to do so. If I hit a writer’s block, I usually do something entirely different, like taking a walk or going to the cinema.
Host: Yes, and I can personally confirm how hard she works on the script! When we came here to Leipzig by plane from Berlin, she was working on it, too, so that the story can go on. (collective cheering)
Host: Where do you get the inspiration for your ideas from?
Katou: I read a lot, both manga and novels, and also watch a lot of TV and movies at the cinema. I also take inspirations from conversations with my friends, or look up specific info on internet blogs. Taking vacation trips in order to see something entirely new is also a great method.
Host: A lot of mangaka struggle with specific things while drawing, like hair or hands. What is the most problematic for you?
Katou: Everything (laughs) At the beginning, getting the pacing of the story right was the most difficult task for me, but I’m getting better at that with practice, I think. Also, hands are fairly difficult for me, so I always try to get at least the rest of the body done really well (laughs)
Host: How did you come by the idea for Ao no Exorcist?
Katou: It all started when I saw the Hollywood movie Brothers Grimm, after which I thought “It’s a good premise, but it could be done better!”. I did some research about it, which is when I came across Mephisto, for example. As I went along with working on the project, I made the monsters into classical demons and transferred the series into a Japanese setting.
Host: But in the end you could say that the Okumura twins are actually somehow based on the Brothers Grimm?!
Katou: Yes, that’s true.
Host: But in Miyama Uguisutei Jiken from your one shot collection Time Killers, the character Night that could be called a pre-Rin is still a lone warrior, right?
Katou: Yes. Back then, I didn’t know yet that the story would eventually become the series. I wanted the one shot to incorporate a lot or parts of the original idea, mainly the general atmosphere and Rin’s character, but within the limits of the one shot, I didn’t have the possibility to include Yukio’s character.
Host: Jump SQ features a question corner for Ao no Exorcist called Ao no Questorcist where you answer questions fans send to you. How do you feel about those?
Katou: The reader’s opinions give me motivation and inspiration! It’s good feedback, and I’m really happy when they notice details I included in the story. For example, very early on I was asked about the small scar on Shima Renzou’s forehead. I couldn’t answer the question back then, as it would have been spoiler for future events, but I was really glad that the readers noticed it!
Host: Joanne K. Rowling said in an interview that she knew the last sentence of Harry Potter very early on and had a clear idea how the series would end. What about you and Ao no Exorcist?
Katou: Well, I’m not like JKR, who had the ending already written locked away somewhere as she progressed with the story. I have an overall idea how the series is going to end, but smaller detail might change while I’m working towards it.
Host: Do you have a favourite character in Ao no Exorcist you enjoy drawing the most?
Katou: No, I enjoy drawing all of them equally. I only make up and draw characters I like, after all.
Host: Do you like drawing animals or humans better in general?
Katou: I don’t have a preference on that, either. But I really enjoy a changing cast, drawing the same characters for too long is a bit boring, so I’m always happy when a character re-appears after some time.
Host: With the kanji meaning getting lost in transcription to romaji for the German release, could you tell us if the name “Okumura” has any special meaning?
Katou: I borrowed that name from an acquaintance of mine, actually. I picked it because it’s neither too rare nor too common, and also because it has a well-rounded ring to it, while still being a bit unwieldy at the same time.
Host: Your acquaintance is not actually an exorcist, though, right?
Katou: No, he isn’t (laughs)
Host: Did you expect that Ao no Exorcist would ever become as popular as it is right now?
Katou: Well, I hoped it would succeed, but I would never have imagined it to become this wide known. I would never have dreamed to be invited to a panel like this, for example.
Host: We went through the prepared questions so fast that there’s still some time left, and Katou-sensei agreed to take questions from the audience, which is very kind of her.
Audience member 1: What does Mephisto’s heart look like?
Katou: I’m going to draw it one day. (I’m sure I understood “heart” here, even though “tail” would make more sense?? Either way, she’s going to draw it, whatever it is.)
Audience member 2: Have you ever cosplayed?
Katou: No, I haven’t, and I wouldn’t start it now, as I’m too old. Cosplay is something for the young and pretty. (collective “Awww” from the audience)
Warning, spoiler-y question for those who do not follow the release of the monthly chapters! Skip this paragraph to avoid reading the spoiler. Audience member 3: What hair colour does Lucifer have? Katou: A really light, white-ish blond.
Audience member 4: How much say did you have in the anime?
Katou: I told them that all food that was included had to look scrumptious, that is all (laughs) I wanted to have as little involvement as possible, as it was an entirely different medium from manga.
Audience member 5: Where did you get the idea for the bunny as your author alter ego from?
Katou: As many Japanese girls, I doodled something next to my name on letters. Many draw cats, but I always drew bunnies, so that’s where that comes from.
Audience member 6: Most shounen protagonists are only really good at eating food, so how did you come up with the idea of one that’s actually good at cooking food himself?
Katou: I really like food and wanted that Rin can show off this skill a lot. I didn’t have the possibility to do so a lot, yet, but there will be more in the future.
Audience member 7: How many more volumes do you think the series will have?
Katou: I would like to end the series at around 25 volumes, but I can’t say that for sure. It might be a few more, I think.
Audience member 8: Rin and Yukio have a human mother. What about Mephisto?
Katou: Mephisto took over the body of an “adequate” human. I can’t say more about this, as it would be a spoiler, sorry!
Audience member 9: How did Fujimoto Shirou and Mephisto meet and become friends?
Katou: I can’t reply that, as it would be a spoiler. I’ll draw their story in the future, though.
Audience member 10: Will Shiemi ever notice the fact that Rin is in love with her?
Katou: Well, Shiemi is really shy and lacks self-confidence, but she slowly becomes more and more confident. About their relationship, I advise you read volume 11.
Audience member 11: How many assistants do you have and what exactly are they doing for you?
Katou: I have three full time assistants, who do the backgrounds for the series. For additional help, I will sometimes order six to seven more to help out with backgrounds and sound effects. I myself do the sketches for the characters and their designs, of course.
At the screening of Ao no Exorcist - The Movie in German dub the next day, she thanked everyone for their work on the project, and advised to pay attention to Kimura Shinji’s backgrounds in particular.
